Artist Name: The Terees Title: Perfect Space Genre: Rock/Power-pop Rating:
Equipment
Audio-Technica, Boston Acoustics, Fender, Focusrite, M-Audio; iMac running GarageBand.
Music
Dan Zweben (singer/songwriter); Andrew Vetter (songwriter, guitar, bass, synth, drum programming).
Reviewed By Marty Peters
‘Perfect Space’ is a rock tune with lots to like, and a few minor problems. The good stuff: Andrew has done an excellent job assembling his sound sources; the arrangement is tight and well-conceived. We like the solid drum programming; the fact that it’s not hidden, but rather situated ideally in the mix (as real drums would be), please us greatly! The restrained tap delay on the vocals is effective, as is Andrew’s use of panning, which provides all the instruments with their own room to shine. Less effective is the lack of bass balance in the mix; there’s not enough girth to fill out the rhythm section. The snare drum sounds a bit strident, and the lack of a well-rounded bass exacerbates the problem. Our other issues are with balance and relative volume. The lead vocal is well recorded and delivered without artifact, but it’s too far out in front of the rest of the mix. This is also the case with the synths, but to a lesser extent. While this may be necessary for a crowded mix, Andrew has created a good deal of spaciousness here, and the disparity between Dan’s excellent vocals and the instruments is a bit much.
Suggestions
This is a fine effort overall, and the fixes should be quick and easy. Starting with the time-honored and always recommended A/Bing, we encourage Andrew to find some commercial releases in this style and compare them, first of all through his monitors, and then through as many alternative speakers/environments as possible. Are the missing low end and bright snare issues room-related? Hard to tell, but A/Bing can go a long way toward sorting it out. We extend the same advice regarding seating the vocals. We suggest a bump in the bass presence, a woodier snare sound, and a reduction of the vocals (along with a tiny bit on the synths) to make the mix more cohesive.
Summary
EZPZ.
Contact
Andrew Vetter, [email protected]